An underpass-flooding downpour early in the day didn’t stop people blasting
along the North Circular and rolling in to the Ace. And the sun shone on some
righteous metalflake. The big guns were there (Kawasaki 1000s, Suzuki 750s,
laverdas, Guzzis) and the not so big (an MZ with original first aid kit, gleaming
Fizzies, a Suzuki GP100 and a BSA Beaver). Here’s a taste of the day…
1. Chris Webb (far left) – his MZ
Trophy (“I call it Atrophy”) is at the far
end of a line of bikes beginning with
Clive Smither’s just-restored Suzuki
750 in Candy lavender. It came from
Michigan, 4½ years ago. He’s working
on a red Kawasaki H1 now.
2. Paul Miles’s 1972 MV Agusta.
3. Guzzi California. Despite the ‘N’
reg it’s a 1975 bike. Front disc is rare,

and as owner lee Mallett says, “It lets
you drive a bit harder”.
4. Martin lewis and his 1977 BMW
R60. He was over from France.
5. Early arrival john Banks began his
journey from the Wye Valley in
pouring rain. T-shirt is fresh on.
6. Kawasaki Z1000 with the stripes of
a Z1B. It’s owner? Guy Martin. “No, if
I was him I’d be at the TT.”

2
3
5

4

6
Classic Bike july 2009 21

being caught by later starters on faster bikes.
But, even at Bantam running in speeds,
I catch up with the 65cc Guzzi (he gets ahead
again when I take a wrong turn). The 100cc
Laverda is way ahead.
The Giro is a regularity run for classic
bikes. Competitors navigate the route with
a road book (the way is marked with arrows
too) and try to keep to a schedule. It’s pretty
relaxed, provided you don’t break down.
The special tests provide the riding
challenge. These usually involve riding short
distances in an allocated time, measured to
the 100th of a second. Coming in over (or
under) the allocated time earns penalties and
the winner is the rider with the least added
time. Final positions can be separated by less
than a second. Knife edge stuff, given that
there’s a new Alfa Romeo for the winner.
There are about 50 entries in the Historic
Revival class for pre-1958 bikes of up to
175cc. These are the bikes ridden when the
giro was a race, before racing on public roads
was stopped in Italy in 1957. The Taglioni
Memorial, and Touring Supersport classes
are for more recent larger-capacity classics,
and there’s a non-competitive Tourist class
for modern machines. The total entry was
about 100 bikes, fewer than when I last rode
the event in 2005.
It’s an unwritten rule that, especially in
the smaller class, the bikes should be Italian.
But ‘Moto Giro eligible’ is often used to
plump up the price tag on Italian commuter

bikes, so I’m here with the Bantam to prove
that a budget British commuter will do just
as well. Our entry was inspired by Richard
Miller, who rode a Bantam in the 2005 and
2006 Giros.
After a couple of hours a group of Italian
riders who’ve picked up a Police escort catch
up with me. The Bantam isn’t about to
disintegrate so I up the pace and latch onto
their coat tails. We’re about to get a glorious
reminder of what makes the Giro special.
And Italian. It also proves that the uneven
running is restricted to the mid-range; the
bike works better when it’s thrashed.
Our Police escort guides us through the
city of Frera. Oncoming traffic is waved to
the side of the road, blue lights flash and red
lights are ignored. The Italian public, faced
with the sight of a bunch of loonies riding
dangerously on old bikes don’t shake their
fists or tut their disapproval, they rise from
their café chairs and applaud.
After 50 miles we arrive in Francolini. By
now I’d decided that the Bantam might make
it. Well, at least as far as Trevisio (the last
stop on day one). I drop the needle in the
carburettor by one notch to weaken the fuel
mix in the mid-range.
South west of Padova are the first
significant hills. I’m caught by Eric and
Christian Clarke (the American brothers
whose Triumph Bonnevilles were featured in
CB in Feb ’08). This is their third Giro, and
they’ve rented a pair of Ducati singles.

Christian is riding the same 1958 125 Sport
I rode on the Giro in 2005. Riding with him
provides a nice comparison with the Bantam.
On the level the bikes are evenly matched,
though possibly the Ducati is faster. Hill
climbing in top gear we’re level pegging, but
the extra gear in the Ducati’s box is a real
advantage. I shift from a droning top gear to
a screaming second as Christian pops into
third and romps away.
Going downhill shows how woeful the
brakes are. I’d been worried about the 5 x 5/8
inch (yes, just 16mm wide) drum brakes
before we left. They work, but not at all well.
And the next two days will take us into the
Dolomites. So I’m on a bike that doesn’t go
up hills, and can’t be slowed on the way
down them, crossing one of the highest
mountain ranges in Europe. Good plan.
When we make it to the hotel that night
we’ve done over 300 kilometers. The Bantam
appears to be losing gearbox oil, the grease
packed rear suspension is unpacking but,
since the carburettor adjustment, it hasn’t
missed a beat. Feeling more relaxed, I start
taking notice of the other competitors.
Rob Dixon’s 100cc ohv Laverda single is
a jewel. Based on a standard road model, but
extensively re-worked with assistance from
Piero Laverda it’s a replica of the works racers
ridden in the Giro when it was still a race.
Spaniard Gabriel Bauza is riding a Bultaco
and has brought along an Ossa for his Italian
friend Emerson Gattafoni. Former drag racer

Classic Bike JULY 2009 91

sohc carburettors
will sort them out. And you don’t have to take the carbs off…

Words & Photography Neil Murray

2

3
This is the spring
clip. It actually holds
the main jet in
place, and its
springy ends bear
against the inside of
the float bowl.
Although it’s
nothing to do with
the float system, just
remove it and place
it safely to one side.

Carefully remove
the float bowl – the
spring clip will
probably try and
make a bid for
freedom.

5

6
Now you’ve
exposed the float
valve in place. Note
the small clip, held
in by a cross-head
screw, that holds it
in position.

…and remove the
float assembly.

9

10
By now, you should
have these
components all
removed: float
bowl, main jet clip,
float assembly, float
valve and body.

Then take out the
valve body itself. It’s
just a push fit in the
carb body. The
O-ring can clearly
be seen.

13
Make absolutely certain that the main jet clip is
correctly located before replacing the float bowl (the
clip has a locating notch which lines up with a lug), and
carefully tighten down the float bowl screws. You can
see the gap between bowl and body in this final
picture: you will definitely feel resistance as you tighten
the screws. If the float bowl relocates flush before you
tighten the screws, or if you feel absolutely no
resistance from the spring at all, then the clip has
become displaced.
And that’s it. Leave it for half an hour for the gasket
sealer to set, and then away you go.